<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Tower of Armintire: The Watcher on the Wall by Finock</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27679223">The Tower of Armintire: The Watcher on the Wall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finock/pseuds/Finock'>Finock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Tower of Armintire: The Watcher on the Wall [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dungeons &amp; Dragons (Roleplaying Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Dungeons &amp; Dragons 5th Edition, High Fantasy, Homebrew Content, Mystery, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:47:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27679223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finock/pseuds/Finock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Many have entered the lonesome Tower whether their reason is fame, fortune, or repentance it matters not for those who enter may never leave. Follow the story of a group of adventurers on their journey to discover the tower's secrets, how to leave it, and what they must to to survive - but only if they remember who they are first. </p><p>Will everything be revealed to them or will they perish within this tower of remembrance.</p><p>This novel length trilogy is based on a D&amp;D campaign that I run and my friends play. The characters in these pages are based off of my players' and my own D&amp;D characters as well as the people they're related to.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Tower of Armintire: The Watcher on the Wall [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024042</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Long Way From Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>A Long Way from Home</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>          Dark, the empty blackness of the void surrounded him and it felt as if his eyes were closed when he was sure as sure can be that they were open. The nothingness seemed to split his being and yet kept him unfeeling. The sensation itself was indescribable; he felt poked and prodded by everything and nothing all at the same time in this darkened void. And just as soon as the feeling came to him it ended in a flash as if someone had lit a candle only to put it out to feel the wick burn. Death, Willahelm awoke and saw the face of death. An aged crumbling skull lie next to him as he opened his eyes. He jumped as his face became pale with fear only to find that he was surrounded by not one but hundreds of corpses. The room was lit brightly by the blazing sun that shone through the room’s skylight showing all the corpses in all their decaying glory. Each corpse wore armor and weaponry befitting rogues, adventurers, soldiers, and mages alike. The room itself was a circular space with a spiral staircase that went upward, two rooms to his left and right, a massive door in front of him, and an archway that sat undisturbed and seemingly out of place. Meanwhile the floor itself bore something even stranger than the corpses. It had a large circular stone emblem with a peculiar hole in the center. His best guess would have been a trap door of some sort and the strange hole in the center was its keyhole, stranger still was that upon further inspection the corpses seemed as if their boney fingers had tried to pry this trap door open before they were killed. What killed them was just as frustrating a mystery as everything else in this room, including himself. His initial shock with regards to the room soon faded, it was then he had realized that he was unaware of the voices that were speaking in the next room over.</p><p>“I don’t care where we are or what we’re doing here-” said one of the voices in a commanding tone “but if I know a thing or two about waking up in a pile of corpses its best to be prepared, so just take what you can and strap them on.”</p><p>The other voices spoke but they were drowned out by the sounds of metal, wood and leather clashing about as if people were rummaging through an armory and to his delight it was. The room was lit well by torches and he could see that it was filled wall to wall with different weapons, leather armors, gambesons, and even bags. Inside he spotted two women; one was an old woman who one could immediately tell her experience by the way she moved around the armory. The other was a younger and taller woman whose slender frame hid a strong physique as she seemed to carry a large club with ease.</p><p>“Hello?” Willahelm broke the silence “Do you two happen to know whe-”</p><p>“Are you confused as well?” The older woman interrupted him.</p><p>“Uh, yes I don-”</p><p>“Good, put on some armor and take a weapon we’re going to need all the help we can get. I can’t trust you and I know you can’t trust me but there’s something wrong here and we need to go.”</p><p>“Hey,” The other woman called to him “Don’t take her too hard, she seems to have good intentions…I think.”</p><p>“No, it’s quite alright” Willahelm replied “I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing here but it’s good to get some direction to keep my feet on the ground. I assume you know each other?”</p><p>“Nope, not one bit.” The woman replied. “But it seems to be like all four of us are in a situation we don’t understand, so I’m going along with it. I’m Sicilia Solfrid and old woman is Ada Auldenblud she says.”</p><p>“Willahelm Heimfrey.” He answered back as he grabbed a short sword and a quarterstaff. “And you mentioned four?”</p><p>“Guys there’s another room over here!” A man’s voice cried before Sicilia could answer. “Take a look everyone!”</p><p>Both of them went outside of the armory and into the room that Ada and the other man was in. The room was filled with trinkets, baubles, canes, and ornaments of different shapes and sizes. There were images that depicted visages of the divine, others the arcane, and some the profane. It was a mismatched room of different amulets, trinkets, tokens, and cultures that are most likely an affront to each other but Willahelm wasn’t privy to such things to make such a call.</p><p>“These all seem to be foci for various arcane disciplines.” The man said as he picked up an orb and slid it into his pack. “But what for? Why put all of this here for people to just pick up?”</p><p>“My best bet is that whoever put us in here wanted us to be prepared.” Ada said. “No, they wanted <em>anyone</em> to be prepared. Keep to your wits and watch where you step.”</p><p>“There must be an exit somewhere around here?” Willahelm interjected.</p><p>“Well there is that one door we haven’t opened yet, might as well try that I suppose. Also, I’m Elian, Elian Catslove.” The man introduced himself and Willahelm noticed an oddity from the man. For the moment he looked upon his eyes he noticed that Elian had strange catlike eyes.</p><p>“Willahelm Heimfrey, a…pleasure.” He said slowly as he was entranced by the strangeness of his eyes.</p><p>“Anyway.” Elian continued and brushed passed Willahelm. “I say we open this door and see what’s on the other side, shall I do the honors?”</p><p>“Alright, give him a hand Sicilia, and get ready.” Ada commanded “We don’t know what’s beyond this point so brace yourself.”</p><p>Elian gave a nod and pulled the heavy door open with Sicilia and light poured into the room. Once the doors were fully open the party could see a wide field. Trees danced with the wind in the distance and they could feel its breeze pass through them, the road leading to and from the tower was worn and well traveled. Grass around the road was wet with dew and grew unhindered. And deer frolicked outside undisturbed.</p><p>“This seems way too easy compared to all the strangeness we’ve all seen so far.” Willahelm said.</p><p>“Agreed.” Sicilia replied</p><p>With this Willahelm took his quarterstaff, held it like a javelin, and threw it outside as hard and as far as he could – only for it to land on the ground outside unceremoniously.</p><p>“Well that was anticlimactic.” Elian said. “Anyone want to go out themselves?”</p><p>Willahelm jumped at the chance to leave this place and sprinted out at the door. The soft soil hit his boot and dust jumped up in the air with each step, the wind hit his face, and the sun grazed his skin and blinded him with its shine as he ran out forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them, the light grew dim, the wind died down, and the soft soil became hard and the sound of each step reverberated the echoes of leather hitting concrete. When he opened his eyes he saw the shocked faces of his new companions looking at him.</p><p>“I want to say I’m surprised but at this point I’m really not.” Elian said disappointingly.</p><p>“Guess there’s nowhere to go but up huh?” Sicilia remarked.</p><p>“Great.” Ada sighed.</p><p>“Alright I’ll take point, Sicilia you’re with me, Willahelm watch our rear. And you, changeling.” She gestured towards Elian.</p><p>“A shifter to be precise, thank you very much! And a catty one at that.” Elian answered and struck a proud pose with a satisfied look on his face.</p><p>“Can you see in the dark?” she asked.</p><p>“Can a flower grow?” He replied.</p><p>“Perfect, scout ahead for us, don’t go too far and be careful. You never know when there might be traps.”</p><p>The party climbed up the spire, dust moved and debris fell with each step. This place was old but not old enough for everything to fall apart from a few people stepping on it. The spire was tall, there were no other doors or thresholds that lead anywhere else as they climbed up, save for the exit at the very top of the tower.</p><p>“How do you give orders like that so quick Ada?” Sicilia wondered. “Not that I’m doubting your orders or anything, I’m just curious. Were you perhaps some sort of soldier?”</p><p>“I….don’t know actually.” Ada replied with confusion in her voice “it seemed natural to me, I already know what to say before saying it.”</p><p>“So you really don’t remember anything?” Sicilia continued.</p><p>“No, what about you three?” She asked. “Are all of you drawing blanks like me?”</p><p>“Unfortunately yes.” Willahelm replied. “I just know my name and how to use this sword, nothing much of who I am, where I am, and what I’m here for.”</p><p>The other two nodded in agreement and replied to Ada’s question much the same. After some time the party reached the top of the tower which lead to another set of steps to Elian’s chagrin and the party trekked onward. The higher they went up these narrow steps the darker it became, until they arrive at the end only to be met by a dimly lit dungeon of some sort. The walls had missing bricks, the floor had moss growing out of the cracks, and most of the torches on the wall had died out and they figured the rest would follow in due time. The path diverged into two, corridors split between the left and right of the entrance. Apart from that they could hear scurrying and scuffling in the distance as well as an odd, unnatural, moan. The moaning and groaning sounds as if it were a cacophony of different voices singing out of tune from each other all at the same time.</p><p>“Let’s not go to where that is then,” Elian whispered “I’ll go left and check it out.”</p><p>Ada nodded and the party followed the shifter as quietly as they could. It didn’t take long for them to turn a corner at the end of the corridor only to be met with another hall as decrepit as the last however this time bodies of different adventurers sat lifeless on the floors. As the party turned Willahelm noticed Elian had started rummaging through the bodies.</p><p>“You're robbing graves?” He sounded disappointed “At a time like this?”</p><p>“Shhh! We might find something useful in here and I don't think they'll be using any of these things.”</p><p>And just as soon as he finished his sentence his eyes widened as if he had struck gold. He pulled out an old piece of parchment from one of the corpses and then he started giggling quietly to himself once he had unraveled it.</p><p>“What did I say Willy?” Elian gave a smug grin and handed the paper to Ada.</p><p>“This is…” Ada said quietly while sifting through the parchment revealing a shoddy drawing with lines that twisted and turned every which way with a few of them marked with a red X on them. “This is a map isn’t it?”</p><p>“Seems like someone here mapped this place out before kicking it.” Elian gave the corpse a light pat on the head. “Thank you.”</p><p>“What do those X's mean?” Sicilia asked.</p><p>“Who knows?” Elian replied. “Traps? Safe spots? Treasure? By bet is treasure.”</p><p>“Well only one way to find out.” Ada said “Come on then, if we’re lucky these markings lead to an exit and if I’m worth my salt the first mark should be in that room to the right.”</p><p> The party continued on quietly and turned towards the room and before they could take another step Ellian stopped the party and put a finger to his mouth. In their silence they could hear scurrying of claws scratching on stone. Peaking further ahead they couldn’t see anything occupying the room and after the noise had stopped they moved forward. As luck would have it a loose tile on the floor sunk into the ground the moment Willahelm’s foot landed on it. Behind them the pitter patter of feet came running towards and as they entered the light they could see that these vermin were a lot larger than the average mouse.</p><p>Immediately one of them pounced towards Willahelm. He blocked the bite from the giant rat with his sword before wrestling the rat off of him by twisting the sword aside. Sicilia then took her club and struck the rat that attacked Willahelm at its side knocking it further away from them, only for the other to get a sneaky hit on her shoulder. She raised her club overhead to strike at the creature only for her club to snag on the celling leaving her open to another attack. It would have landed another harsh bite on her skin had Ada not lunged forward and landed a sharp blow on the creature, bashing its skull in with her shield.</p><p>“Over here!” Elian beckoned them deeper through the corridor and into the room. “We’ve more room to fight in here!”</p><p>“You heard the man, let’s go!” Ada shouted as she aided Willahelm out of the hole in the floor while Sicilia kept the other wounded rat at bay before it retreated into the darkness. Once Willahelm was wrenched free from the floor they bolted towards the room where Elian had bade them to. The room darker than the corridor with only two torches lighting the entire place and it was filled with more dead bodies as well as the bags they left. The moment they had gotten together they could hear more scuttling in the walls.</p><p>“I doubt that’s the last of them!” Ellian remarked.</p><p>“They’re slow.” Willahelm said.</p><p>“Tell that to Sicilia.” Ada replied.</p><p>“No I mean they’re not as fast as they could be, but watch your backs they could come out from anywhere.”</p><p>“And how would you know that!?” Ada asked.</p><p>“Call it intuition.”</p><p>No sooner than they regrouped the rats were already upon them when one jumped from out of the shadows towards Elian who ducked in the nick of time dividing the party in the middle as three more show up. One pounced and clawed at Ada and Willahelm ferociously backing them away from Elian who was on the floor wrestling himself free from the vermin on top of him. Meanwhile Sicilia had been effectively separated from the rest of the group by two rats.</p><p>Elian rolled on the floor to get on top of the rat which held on to his arm and pierced his skin with its sharp claws. Without hesitation Elian pulled out a dagger from his waist and stabbed the creature hard in its neck only for it to get one more vicious bite on Elian’s wrist as it savagely twisted and fell lifeless.</p><p>Meanwhile the two rats lunged at Sicilia In quick succession. Both began clawing and pouncing at her. She bashed and dodged their attacks to the best of her ability and struck them hard when she had an opening to exploit. She quickly knocked one of them out of the air as it jumped towards her only for her to finish it off with a swift whack to the head. Unfortunately the other had gotten a flank on her and bit her hard on her ribcage. She grabbed it by its scruff and then threw it on the ground in front of her. It quickly got up and became cautious of its actions, slowly moving around Sicilia as if it were looking for an opening. Sicilia on the other hand started to feel off balanced and weary, and soon her vision began to blur. Her swing began to lose their accuracy and each hit had less and less of her strength. It was poison she thought. Not potent enough to killer but strong enough to weaken her. Taking this opportunity Ellian snuck behind the rat busy with Sicilia and struck it square on its head killing it instantly. Over at the other side of the room Willahelm lopped off the rat’s legs with a quick swipe wounding it heavily then Ada quickly finished it off as it attempted to scurry off into the darkness. Once they had finished, both of them quickly went to Sicilia’s side.</p><p>“Well, at least we now know that X’s are the bad places.” Ellian exasperated “Anyone got bandages? Medicine? A band aid maybe? Because Sicillia isn’t looking too good.”</p><p>“The bags!” Willahelm’s eyes widened.</p><p>“Oh now you want to rob graves?!” Ellian exclaimed.</p><p>Willahelm quickly shuffled through one of the bags that was next to some of the dead bodies. He’d throw junk over the shoulder as he rummaged through them and then switched over to another one. Ada quickly joined in on the search as soon as she realized what Willahelm began doing and soon they found what they had been looking for.</p><p>“A medicine kit?” Ellian asked “How’d you guys know?”</p><p>“Look at the bodies.” Willahelm pointed at one corpse and then another “They're all wearing adventuring gear and they each have a bag made for travelling, then there's the map you found. This was no random trip into a dungeon, this was an expedition.</p><p>“Then how come we aren’t dead yet?” Sicilia asked as she winched through the pain as Ada applied treated her wounds. “These people were better equipped and better prepared than us, how are we still alive then?”</p><p>“Two possible answers to that.” Ada replied “One: these people were left behind or two: whatever killed them hasn’t found us yet.”</p><p>They continued onward through the dark dungeon, encountering stranger things as they went. More bodies started showing the deeper they got, more skittering could be heard echoing throughout the corridors, giant rats would pass them and then move along – presumably to better or easier prey. Meanwhile the unnatural groaning became louder, nearer, sometimes and other times it seemed far or even non-existent. It was as if the source of the noise popped in an out of existence randomly. Sometimes even they would hear fighting, not the sound of claws and teeth but the sound of steel and blade. They’d get near the source only to find out that there was no one there when they turned the corner.</p><p>Deeper still they began seeing other creatures. Insects began moving along the walls and ceilings. In some rooms they’d spot corpses being gnawed on by centipedes half their size and spider webs that had what seemed to be people spun inside web. The party avoided what they could creating as little noise as possible but soon they became weary. They needed a safe place to rest for a while, especially Sicilia. Soon they happened upon a room that had a door that was open. The wooden door itself seemed to still be in working condition and they decided that this would be the best option they had if they wanted to rest easier compared to the wide open spaces of some of the rooms they had passed by. However the room was occupied.</p><p>Willahelm could hear the noise of chewing, flesh tearing, and barking. Peering into the room he spotted two emaciated dogs that had resorted to eating a rat they had just caught.</p><p>“Willahelm, take the one on the right I’ll take the one on the left.” Ada whispered. “Sicilia, with me I’ll distract it for you so you can get a clean hit in. Ellian you do the same while Willahelm distracts his.”</p><p>They nodded in agreement and then readied their weapons as they made their move quietly.</p><p>Willahelm gripped his sword tightly as he made his way. This time more careful with each step, making sure no foot was out of place and no sound was made. Sweat slid down his forehead and onto his cheek, the heat of the lantern they carried was no more and he could feel the pinch of cold on his skin, his breath draw heavy to keep himself quiet, and his eyes focused on his target. He could hear each footstep him and his company made as their boots hit stone but then the sound changed.</p><p>In a blink stone became grass, dark became twilight, and cold became warmth.</p><p>He found myself tired and parched and it was late in the evening. <em>What?! Where am I? </em>He thought to himself. One moment he was spelunking in the dank corridors of an old dungeon and now he found himself walking through a city. Lights shone dim under the thickening fog when by happenstance he took notice of this old alley west of an abandoned clinic.</p><p> </p><p>Strange, he thought, he didn’t remember what was there before; even stranger is that he couldn’t even recall if there was an alley there in the first place. Perhaps it was fenced or guarded? Or maybe it simply didn’t leave much of an impression and he never gave it a thought. Still, it seems to stretch through the block and would lead directly to his flat. A flat? Did he have a flat? Where was he anyway? These thoughts raced through his mind before remembering he had left behind his new compatriots in that dungeon. But before he could catch his breath and think clearly a hooded man stood with his back to him at the end of the alleyway.</p><p>He turned around, his grin is jagged, and his eyes danced like distance stars in the night sky. Willahelm opted to ignore it and turned around when the man spoke in a low, guttural voice "Heimfrey."</p><p>"Do you know of me?" Willahelm asked</p><p>"Heimfrey," he repeats blankly, with just his jagged grin.</p><p>"Who are you?!” He screamed despite not meaning to, as if he was a puppet loosely strung.</p><p>"Is yours the House of Battle or the House of War?"</p><p>"W-what?" His words stuttered like shards of glass.</p><p>"Is yours the House of Battle or the House of War?" he asks once more, his eyes seem to inch closer.</p><p>"I don't understand, what do you mean?" Willahelm asked, again unsure why he did and why he had not just walked away.</p><p>"Is yours the House of battle or House of war!" his voice was raised and distorted, no longer guttural but more of, static growling. </p><p>And then his eyes popped out of their sockets.</p><p>"House of Battle?" he continued with his eyes hanging only by the thread of their nerves. "Or House of War?"</p><p>The calm tone came back to Willahelm’s dismay, his face began to contort and sink into itself. "Is the house of Heimfrey," bone and sinew exposed themselves as a hole in his face grew, "engaged in battle?"</p><p>His limbs began to fall apart and his body fell to the ground in pieces leaving only the mouth to say the haunting words: "or is it the War?"</p><p>          Dark, the empty blackness of the void surrounded him as he shut his eyes away from the horror. He begged for nothingness but he knew that something would meet his eyes when he opened them. The sensation he felt, the guilt, the shame, the fear, they were all ever present and yet he found himself not knowing where it had come from. He desperately wanted the feeling to end, as if he had been set ablaze and he wanted nothing more than to roll around and put it out. But there it was.</p><p>Death, Willahelm opened his eyes and saw the face of death.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>The Lightbringer</strong>
</p>
<p>          “<em>Take charge</em>” is all she had in mind. Guide them, keep them alive, keep them safe, and take them home, blasted in her head in repeat as if it were a guiding force. Every inch they take throughout the dungeon Ada had kept eye on the mission, anything else is a distraction. There had to be an order to things and they had to make sense of it but not now, thinking about the details come later when she knows everyone makes it safe – and she would stand by that promise. Right now where they are and who they are don’t matter. Survival was important here.</p>
<p>“Ada!” she heard both Sicilia and Ellian call to her mid charge, <em>now’s not the time she</em> thought. She rushed into the fray and bashed one of the dogs in the skull, wounding it but not enough to kill it or make the creature run away - if anything the strike pissed it off even more! Which was exactly what she had wanted. After the first hit she quickly maneuvered behind the dogs to grab its attention however when she turned she noticed not one but two dogs had their eyes on her.</p>
<p>“Where the bloody hells is Willahelm!” Ada cried.</p>
<p>“That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you!” Sicilia shouted. “He suddenly disappeared!”</p>
<p>“Disappeared?! Come back here you coward! Ada screamed towards the door.</p>
<p>“Stop yelling!” Ellian demaned “You want those things outside to get us in here too? Look he <em>disappeared </em>literally! Gone! Like he was snatched away! I would know, he was in front of me!”</p>
<p>“Change of tactics then…Ellian draw the second one’s attention to you and I’ll flank it while I have this on-”</p>
<p>The second dog jumped and tried to sink its teeth into Ada. Ada raised her sword to defend in response and braced for impact, but before anything could land the dog vanished. Snatched from thin air as if it never existed in the first place.</p>
<p>“See I told you!” Ellian was both in shock and ecstatic that it happened again right in front of his eyes to prove the point.</p>
<p>“Fine, fine!” Ada scowled “Let’s just finish this quick.”</p>
<p>The fight didn’t take too long as Ellian gave the creature a deep cut and a hit from Sicilia sent it flying and hobbling out of the room. In that moment Sicilia rushed to the door, closed it, and then Ellian and Ada proceeded to bar the door with the various fixtures and furniture that was available in the room.</p>
<p>“Great maybe now we can finally take a breather!” Sicilia sighed exasperated with everything they had done to stay alive.</p>
<p>“Speak for yourself,” Ellian interjected “who can rest easy with a rat corpse in the same room!” </p>
<p>“Just breathe through your mouth, it’ll be fine.” Ada added “We won’t be here for long anyway, take this time to collect yourself and get ready, we’re not out of the woods yet.”</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t we wait for Willahelm? He might come back?” Sicilia’s voice quivered nervously. “Besides the more people we have the better right?”</p>
<p>“And when do you suppose he’ll come back?” Ada asked her. “Do you want to stay here for days, weeks, months just to wait for him? We’ll starve or suffocate from the smell before then. We’re leaving in a few hours and that’s that.”</p>
<p>“She’s right,” Ellian said “We can’t dally for too long because I don’t know about the two of you but I’m already hungry and I doubt any of us remember when we last ate.”</p>
<p>“Get some sleep if you can. I’ll take first watch” Ada said.</p>
<p>“No I’ll take first wat-” Ada stopped Sicilia before she could finish.</p>
<p>“You’re the most injured among us, get some rest, Ellian will wake you after his watch.”</p>
<p>“I’m happy to not get a vote in this.” Ellian said sarcastically.</p>
<p>“I’m happy to trade places with you if you want Shifter.” Ada sneered.</p>
<p>“No, no I’m okay with this.” He replied. “If you need me I’ll be here doing nothing.”</p>
<p>“If you want, you get to choose what guard shift you want next time we take a rest.”</p>
<p>“Next time?” Ellian hung on that word as if he was on a tree. “What makes you so sure there’ll be a next time?”</p>
<p>“Because I’m going to make sure of it.” Ada proclaimed “Now settle down and get some rest”</p>
<p>Time passed, eventually the dog came back and began to growl, bark, and scratch at the door. It didn’t last long as something or someone drove it off; who or what it was they wouldn’t know, all they heard was a dog’s whimper followed by the sounds of pitter pattering feet against cold stone. More banging came to the door on Ellian’s shift as guard, it seemed like something had tried to get in and then gave up, perhaps more rats had come after smelling the death of their kin? More dogs? Or did the centipedes and spiders finally wanted to get in on the action? This too would pass after sometime then came the knocking. Ellian stood in disbelief, another person perhaps? He leaned closer for a listen. No sound, just more knocking. Whoever or whatever it was it didn’t say anything and after a while it gave up. Sicilia felt a little better as the medicine had begun to kick in, her wounds stung but it could be worse, and she knew worse although she didn’t know how. She would have sat there in silence had it not been for the pain. It was quiet on her time on guard, no sound was made save for the light breathing of the other two getting sleep in and the knocking Ellian had mentioned to her never came back.</p>
<p>With their rest done they packed up their things, donned their armor and gear once more, changed their bandages, rummaged through the room for anything useful, and then moved out. Quietly moving the various things they used to barricade the door proved slow and tedious but it had to be done in this way otherwise they’d call attention to themselves to any roaming creature outside of that door. When they had finally opened the door they gasped.</p>
<p>They saw Willahelm outside of the room with his hands on his face, shivering.</p>
<p>“Willahelm!” Sicilia and Ellian cheered quietly and Ellian gave him a hug.</p>
<p>“Please don’t disappear again!” He continued. “I don’t want to be vanguard anymore!”</p>
<p>“Oh pipe down you, you only did it once.” Ada said and gave a smile. “What happened to you anyway? If you were just out here why didn’t you say something?”</p>
<p>“I’m….I think I’m okay” His voice quivered, what he saw in his time away shook him to his core. “And no I…I just got back I think?”</p>
<p>“Wait so you weren’t the one knocking at our door the whole time?” Ellian gave a tired sigh. “Dear gods this tower just keeps getting better and better! Giant rats, insects, disappearing people and dogs, and now ghosts!”</p>
<p> “So what happened to you?” Sicilia wondered “You disappeared on us and we almost left without you!”</p>
<p>“I was in a dream” Willahelm attempted to collect his thoughts “but it felt all too real. I could smell the grass in the air, taste the smoke of chimneys, and felt the grass beneath my feet, but none of it was real I think? I don’t remember that place either but it seemed familiar. I don’t know how else to explain it but I’m starting to wonder if <em>this</em> is real!”</p>
<p>“It’s real and you’re here buddy.” Ada interjected “Get your head in the game Willahelm, we’re getting out of here alive; oh and by the way, good to see you back.”</p>
<p>Strange things kept assaulting them left and right from the moment they awoke in this tower and most people would be racking their heads trying to make sense of it all. Most people would have been panicking by now and some would have lost their heads. Ada wouldn’t let this happen, she was determined more than ever now to keep things in line and to get out of danger. Each step was quiet, each turn at a corner was careful, and fights had to be avoided at all cost. One of them had already been seriously injured and their chances of survival would be less if any one of them became just as hurt as Sicilia had been. The corridor at this point was empty, no signs of creatures, no noise could be heard here or there, but they still had to be careful.</p>
<p>More and more bodies started to pile up and each carrying more valuable things on them for survival. Ellian had picked up silver pieces from one of the bodies and thought it best that he be the one to keep check of everyone’s inventory. Soon they picked up a few potions; some were made to swiftly heal injuries and the others were unknown to them. A purple liquid, unknown to any of them, Willahelm offered to drink it to see its effects but Ada warned against it. Now was not the time for heroics stupidity even more so.</p>
<p> Later in their exploration Ellian came upon a noise, it was the moaning from earlier. Although this time it was different, it wasn’t unnatural, this time a person had been making these noises.</p>
<p>“Wait!” Ada called as Ellian ran towards the noise. “Gods damn it!”</p>
<p>The other two ran ahead after Ellian, Ada on the other hand slowed her pace to make sure no one jumped them from the rear and in time they came upon the source of the noise. A man with an ominous lantern that shined a bright green light sat there leaning back against the wall holding a gut wound. Despite this the man jumped up upon seeing Ellian attempt to aid him.</p>
<p>“Back! Get back I said!”  The man cried as he pointed a sword to Ellian and attempted to keep pressure on his wound all the while holding his strange lantern. “You won’t take this from me! I need it! I need it to keep them at bay don’t you see! They fear the light and I have it!”</p>
<p>“Who are ‘<em>they’</em> and what makes you so sure that lantern will protect you?” Willahelm asked.</p>
<p>“Those things, those horrid, horrible things!” He rambled “Blood red monstrosities that shamble about! Maybe you want to die but not me! I won’t let them kill me!”</p>
<p>“Just calm down!” Sicilia demanded “We can help you, you’re hurt badly and we have bandages! We don’t want your blasted lantern!”</p>
<p>“Lies and deceit!” He shouted “They wanted the lantern too! They said they were my friends but oh no the moment they started dropping like flies suddenly we’re not friends anymore so I killed them and I’ll kill you too!”</p>
<p>“It’s three against one you idiot.” Ellian spat “We’re trying to help you! Fuck your lantern!”</p>
<p>The man began a low chuckle that escalated to a sharp and loud deranged laugh. “Come on you demons! Come one come all!” The mad man’s call echoed through the halls as he shouted and banged the flat of his blade against the lantern making this high pitched ringing noise. “Kill them for me! They don’t have the lantern, see! Thrash their innards, eat their flesh, and carve them like pumpkins! A free meal on the house courtesy of m-”</p>
<p>The man stopped before he could finish and dropped to the floor.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Willahelm prodded him with his foot and Ada went in to check on his pulse.</p>
<p>“Dead.” She confirmed “Heart must have given out.”</p>
<p>“We’ll be joining that fucking moron soon if we don’t think of anything and fast here!” Ellian shouted. “Because whatever these things are they’re coming fast!”</p>
<p>Sicilia picked up the lantern and kept her club at the ready, while the others stood back to back with her.</p>
<p>“I have no idea what this lantern does but we that guy made a really big deal out of it” Sicilia held the lantern out and kept everyone under its light, much to Ellian’s Chagrin.</p>
<p>“You’re believing a crazy person who’s going to get us killed?! This would be funny, except it isn’t!”</p>
<p>“Quiet down you two.” Ada interrupted “We can debate whether or not the lantern is magic later right now we have our own problems.”</p>
<p>As she said this the very creature that the man referred to appeared before them. A shambling mass of blood red with arms outstretched and bent at odd ends. Its mouth sat in the middle more akin to a pit of spikes than an functioning mouth for food. I carried with it heads from recently dead adventurers and gnawed at its skull. Willahelm charged the creature with his blade, striking the creature with ease and dodging its attacks with efficiency. In response the creature flailed its multitude mismatched arms in an attempt to injure Willahelm. This proved easy to dodge however, Willahelm was now being backed into a corner until he found his opening and thrust forward into the creature’s head and in that moment Willahelm made a dire mistake. Relaxing his guard for a moment thinking he had killed the monster was his misstep for the creature attempted to slice his throat open now that he was close enough. Although he was able to dodge this right at the last moment but then he felt the pang of a sharp blade hit his sides. He looked and behind him another creature had landed a blow in this moment of surprise the creature landed another on his shoulder. Acting fast, Willahelm kicked the creature in front of him to push it away so that he could free himself from the other one’s grasp, and he would have failed and died had Sicilia had not pushed it away with a shoulder tackle. In that moment the creature had entered the range of the lantern and to both of their surprise the creature was sucked into it, as if a vortex had appeared and taken the creature.</p>
<p>“The lantern is magic…” Sicilia’s eyes widened at the realization “I figured it out guys!”</p>
<p>“That’s just great!” Ellian shouted in between breaths as both he and Ada were now fighting two of these creatures “Now help us!”</p>
<p>Sicilia ran towards the first creature and then ran towards Ada and Ellian to do the same, with each new soul the lantern took it began to change color and now it shone a dark, malicious red, and then everything went quiet for a moment.</p>
<p>The calm of the storm was always eerie.</p>
<p>Soon the lantern pushed out a force that almost knocked them all on their feet, the room began to shake, and the shrieks coming from the lantern nearly broken their ear drums.</p>
<p>“I think we should break it!” Ellian shouted.</p>
<p>“And give them a chance to break free?” Sicilia cried “Hells no!”</p>
<p>“Fuck logic, just break it!” Ada demanded.</p>
<p>And with that Ellian took the lantern from Sicilia and crashed it into the ground and the lantern shattered. The noise ceased, the creatures were no more, and the illusions of the dungeon began to fade revealing natural sunlight coming from the ceiling somehow, the stones on the floors and walls went back to their original conditions, and pathways they hadn’t seen began opening up.</p>
<p>Ada gave a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>“Guess that’s the end of that.” She said “Whatever the fuck it was.”</p>
<p>As soon as she finished saying, a wall at the end of the room they were in opened and revealed more stairs.</p>
<p>“Well fuck me we did it.” Ada said in disbelief.</p>
<p>Upon Ellian suggestion the party decided to search the dungeon more for more valuable things now that the place seemed safe to explore now. Ada scoffed at the suggestion and remained careful only to be proven wrong for there was nothing left but corpses and worn adventuring gear.</p>
<p>They found more potions, some silver, and a hidden underground pathway that simply lead to where the man with the lantern was. Which had exasperated Ada to no end. However in this pathway was not only a short cut but it held crystal ores of different kinds as well as another archway that was similar in design to the one at the armory.</p>
<p>With that the party headed up towards the steps. Once again letting Ellian scout ahead, however this time they moved in silence, if the dungeon was anything to go by this next floor would be another danger they’d have to maneuver around. Be prepared for anything Ada told herself her mantra staying strong in the face of adversity but it could not prepare her for this.</p>
<p>“Guys?” Ellian called to them “You might want to see this!”</p>
<p>“This better not be another bleeding man with a lantern Catslove or so help m-” Ada was stunned again for beyond the threshold of the staircase was an expansive derelict town. Fields that seem to go on for miles in what seems to be an underdark mining town. Various people of different races could be seen working from mining, delivering, pulling and pushing carts, crafting, and some delegating. It seemed as if they were building – or rather rebuilding – their structures. Most houses didn’t have a roof over their heads and people slept in rucksacks and using their shirts for pillows.</p>
<p>They entered the town and the moment they were seen one of the miners rushed passed them to try and enter the floor below them only for the party to look back at the man and realize that the door to the last floor had disappeared.</p>
<p>“Of course the doors disappear!” Ada threw her arms in the air “Why am I not bloody surprised!”</p>
<p>“Damn it!” The boy cussed and threw his helmet to the ground.</p>
<p>“I told you it wasn’t worth it Randy.” An older man stepped in “New arrivals I reckon?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Sicilia replied “What is this? Where the hell are we? And what is his problem?”</p>
<p>“Load of questions you got there lass.” He said “I’m Byron, that boy is relatively new, his name’s Randford – we call him Randy. As for where you are you’re in Durest, a mining town if you haven’t guessed. As for why we’re all here, we don’t know ourselves honestly. One day we just woke up here!”</p>
<p>“What the hells?!” Ada grew wearier with each moment.</p>
<p>“Excuse me?” Byron was taken aback.</p>
<p>“Why are you staying in this hell hole?!” Ada put her hand on her face. “By the looks of it you’re barely scratching by!”</p>
<p>“And die? I’d rather keep my head on my shoulders you hear me!” Byron replied. “Look we’re not adventurers we’re just townies so we’re here making the best of it.”</p>
<p>“Fine, how do you eat then? Where is your fire coming from? How are any of you still alive!?” Ada continued.</p>
<p>“We can talk about that in due time. For not why not take a breather here, aye?” Byron urged. “We’ve got food, although it’s just rat meat and potatoes; it’s better than nothing trust me.”</p>
<p>“Alright fine! I just have one last question then.” Ada composed herself and asked “Why are you being so nice to us.”</p>
<p>Byron sighed, “I was planning on saving this talk for later when you folk had gotten time to rest and recuperate but if you’re going to be insistent. We have a small rat problem.”</p>
<p>“<em>Fuck this</em>” is all she had in mind. Fuck them, fuck this place, and fuck everything that’s happened in the past few hours; this blasted in her head in repeat as if even her conscience had given up. Sense? Order? Nothing made sense here and she knew it. But she did it, they all did it. What was important was still there alive and kicking.</p>
<p>Now all she had to do was keep doing it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Like what you see? Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FinockWrites</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>